Talarico says "this agency" cannot be trusted to report all the facts and calls for an independent investigation of the Austin shooting
James TalaricoTexas state representative and Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate
James Talarico, the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Texas, said in a statement on the Austin shooting of Wilber Rafael Garces Perez that previous incidents have shown that "this agency" cannot be trusted to report all the facts. He called for a full, independent investigation that includes the release of any and all available footage.
“Previous incidents have shown that this agency cannot be trusted to report all the facts We need a full, independent investigation that includes the release of any and all available footage.”
Reporting
Reporting
Where this statement fits
Should DHS lead the investigation of the ICE shooting of a delivery driver in Austin?
On September 20, 2026, according to Austin officials, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot and wounded Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, a 28-year-old Venezuelan DoorDash driver, in North Austin, Texas. DHS said Homeland Security Investigations, with FBI assistance, would lead the investigation and described him as an “illegal alien” with a final order of removal who is in federal custody pending removal. His attorney disputes that he entered illegally and says he has a valid work permit. Austin's mayor, Democratic members of Congress and the League of United Latin American Citizens question DHS's and ICE's credibility and have called for an independent investigation. Rep. Chip Roy, a Republican, repeated DHS's description of the man. On September 29, federal prosecutors charged him with assaulting and resisting a federal officer, and the U.S. Attorney's Office said ICE's Homeland Security Investigations is investigating that case.
Source and context
Reporting
About this source
Austin American-Statesman report published the day after the shooting, collecting reactions from elected officials and advocacy groups. Its section on Talarico quotes his call for an independent investigation.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Reporting
About this source
San Antonio Current report on Texas Democrats' reactions to the shooting. It says Talarico released a statement calling for an independent investigation and that Austin Mayor Kirk Watson joined that call.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
A federal immigration officer shot Wilber Rafael Garces Perez in North Austin on Sunday, September 20. DHS said Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the FBI, was leading the investigation.
After the quotation
The San Antonio Current reported that Austin Mayor Kirk Watson and other Texas Democrats also called for an independent and transparent investigation.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The case asks whether DHS should lead the investigation of the shooting. Talarico said previous incidents have shown that "this agency" cannot be trusted to report all the facts, and that the shooting needs a full, independent investigation with any available footage released. That calls for an investigation independent of the agency involved, so we labeled it Condemned.
- Recorded on
- Published here
- People and groups discussed
- U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
More from this case
Read the full caseAustin Council Member Vanessa Fuentes says local law enforcement should join the ICE shooting investigation
“ICE cannot investigate itself, and so it’s important that we have our local law enforcement agency involved in that investigation”Read statement
Travis County DA Garza says the federal government has not shared evidence with Austin police on the ICE shooting
“So far, the information has been flowing from the Austin Police Department to federal law enforcement officials, and as we sit here today, three days away from this shooting, it is incredibly important that the information start to flow both ways To my knowledge, at this point, the federal government has not shared any evidence with the Austin Police Department, and importantly, has not responded to a request from the Austin Police Department to be able to participate in or be allowed to interview the ICE agent who discharged his weapon here in Travis County this past Sunday”Read statement
Castro calls for an independent investigation of the Austin ICE shooting
“There must be an independent investigation, and the ICE officers who shot Wilber in the back should be held accountable.”Read statement
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- Talarico says "this agency" cannot be trusted to report all the facts and calls for an independent investigation of the Austin shooting
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The Dispute Index. "Talarico says "this agency" cannot be trusted to report all the facts and calls for an independent investigation of the Austin shooting". First published: 2026-09-30. Last updated: 2026-09-30. https://disputeindex.com/events/3428-james-talarico-the-democratic-nominee-for-u-s